Italia Hospitality at International Hotel Investment Forum 2018

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Global Restaurant Investment Forum 2020

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Breaking News dall’IHIF di Berlino 2019

by Paola G. Lunghini

Accor launched their new lifestyle brand TRIBE during IHIF. To operate in the midscale segment and targetting travellers who are seeking a high-quality hotel experience at an affordable price, TRIBE aims to surprise travellers with an original, exciting and carefully curated offer that focuses on style rather than price. 2018 was a record year for Accor, in terms of hotel development with 500 hotels signed, 110 more hotels than in 2017. The group also announced their new loyalty programme which, by the end of 2019 will merge the existing programmes into ALL (Accor Live Limitless).

Arrivedo , a content platform that curates things to do around hotels, has launched an API and White Label solution for hotel groups, chains, and operators. Both solutions integrate with hotel websites, mobile apps, in-room tablets to distribute curated, personalised Neighbourhood Guides that include route technology and activity recommendations surrounding the property.

a&o hostels: Five million overnight stays, 2.2 million guests … and revenues just short of 152 million euro: 2018 was in many ways an exciting year for the Berlin-based budget group a&o hostels. In addition to new openings in Prague and Frankfurt, a&o has also acquired real estate in Poland, Hungary, and Spain for the first time to significantly push its European expansion forward. This is rounded off by the rollout of an extensive brand and design relaunch and the opening of the group’s own art gallery in Leipzig. The company registered around five million overnight stays and revenue increased by approximately 15%. Currently, a&o operates 35 locations and 26,000 beds in 21 cities and six countries – of which 25 properties in Germany alone – with an occupancy rate of 66% on average. Under the ownership of TPG Real Estate, a&o continues to grow and consolidate its position as the leading hostel owner and operator in Europe.

Barceló Hotel Group revealed its results of their 2018 performance, which included 13 new hotels, as well as announcing its expansion plan for 2019. The group now has a total of 249 hotels and 55,014 rooms across 22 countries. These figures place the business as the third largest hotel group within Spain and 29th internationally.

Beekeeper launches a location feature on their app created to boost the efficiency of operations teams across the hospitality sector. Employee engagement analytics can be obtained and used to understand output on a local level leading to more streamlined processes across operations departments. Full details can be found here and visit Beekeeper in the IHIF Tech Hub for further information and demonstration.

News from Best Western includes the acquisition of renowned global hotel brand WorldHotels, the continued expansion of its global hotel portfolio with more than 600 hotel projects currently under development for the group’s 16 brands on all continents around the globe, the opening of its inaugural Vib Best Western hotel in Asia Pacific, the brand new Vib Best Western Sanam Pao in Bangkok. In January 2019, the soft brand “Sure Hotel Collection” presented last year by Best Western Hotels & Resorts, was launched in Germany with four hotels. Click here for further information.

The International Hotel Law Review, edited by Karen Friebe and Mark Abell (Partners, Bird & Bird) and due for release soon, will be the first of its kind focussing on the hotel sector. With contributions from leading figures in the sector, it will not only consider key issues such as the impact of technology, finance trends and best practice in hotel management and franchising agreements but also explain how the law impacts upon the hotel sector in over 30 key markets. If you are interested in finding out more about this title, or any other books in The Law Reviews series, please visit www.thelawreviews.co.uk or get in touch with rebecca.mogridge@thelawreviews.co.uk.

Colliers International has launched its fourth UK Hotels Market Index (UKHMI) showing Edinburgh remaining at the top of the UK index. The UK Hotels Market Index is an analysis of 34 locations across the UK, ranked to determine the ‘hot spots’ for hotel development and acquisition across the country. Further news from the group includes a new management agreement between Hyatt Hotels and Kastrati Hotels & Tower to created the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Albania brokered by Colliers International’s UK Hospitality Asset Management team and the local Colliers office in Albania as well and two new hotel developments, totalling 304 rooms in the upcoming area of ‘Amsterdam Noord’ in Amsterdam. New appointments include Jules van Gaalen who joins Colliers International as Head of Transactions in the Benelux Hotel team, based in Amsterdam and Richard Eaton-Hart who has joined Colliers as a new Director in its Hospitality Asset Management (HAM) team, based in London. Finally, Colliers International in Spain has launched their 2018 Hotel Investment Report showing that Spain closed 2018 with the highest hotel investment volume in its history equating to a total of €4,810 million (both existing hotels and development projects).

Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Hospitality Team Expands into Spain by Recruiting Magma Hospitality Consulting’s Senior Team. Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Hospitality team has continued its strategic expansion across Europe with the recruitment of the entire senior team of Magma Hospitality Consulting, a leading independent advisor to the hotel sector in Spain. Magma Hospitality Consulting founding partners Albert Grau and Bruno Hallé join as Co-Heads of Cushman & Wakefield Hospitality Spain, with two Senior Consultants, Marga Claret and Ana Rojas, also joining the global real estate services firm. The recruitment of the experienced Spanish hospitality team follows on from last month’s appointment of Katell Bourgeois, to head Cushman & Wakefield’s Hospitality team in France. The expansion in Spain and France is the latest step since Jonathan Hubbard joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2017 as Head of EMEA Hospitality with a remit to significantly grow its EMEA Hospitality practice. Full press release here.

Engel & Völkers Hotel Consulting (EVHC), a sponsor of IHIF, continue to grow in the second year after its founding. Just before the event in Berlin, EVHC published the Hotel Market Report Germany 2019. Find out here to what degree the pipeline of new hotel projects will challenge the top 5 city destinations.

On the second day of IHIF, Hilton announces the signing of a partnership between Hilton and Shomoul Company to develop and operate four landmark hotels at The Avenues – Riyadh. Hilton is to operate its Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Hilton Garden Inn brands, and introduce its Canopy by Hilton brand to the Middle East at a signature development in Riyadh.

Horwath HTL released their European Chains and Hotels Report 2019. The publication looks at hotel chains and brands in 22 markets across Europe, covering 150,000 hotels with 6 million rooms.